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pard-tem3

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Music Box Surfaces

Broad Question

What material creates the most acoustic amplification for a music box?

Specific Question

What surface, Steel, Plastic, or Wood, creates the most acoustic amplification for a music box?

Variables

Independent Variable: Surface

Dependent Variable: Amplification (dB)


Variables That Need To Be Controlled: Size of Room, Surface (counting dimensions)


Hypothesis



I hypothesize that steel will create the most amplification, followed by wood, finally plastic.

Graph of Hypothesis

Pard_Hypothesis.JPG

General Plan


Experimental Design

I will be conducting my experiment in school at given times. It will require only myself to conduct the experiment. It will take me about fifteen trials, five for each surface. I will be recording my data on a spreadsheet which I will then transfer to a computerized spreadsheet. I will include my own observations on a small note section below my spreadsheet, recording my own hearings of sound and anything else I notice. I will take pictures of the experiment to prove that I did it.

Materials List

  • Music box (small, can be down to 18 notes) diy_music_box.jpg
  • Steel surface (8 inches wide, all others have equal width/length)stainless_steel.jpg
  • Wood surfaceOak_laminated_wood_board.jpg
  • Plastic surface LexanThermoclear.jpg
  • Quiet area
  • 2 Styro-foam blocks (to suspend the surface in the air so there’s no interference with table surface
  • Sound Measuring Device (dB)
Detailed Procedure
  1. Print out spreadsheet
  2. Go to quiet room
  3. Set up styro-foam blocks so that they will hold the surface
  4. Set up sound recorder at the base of the styro-foam blocks (it will be in the same place throughout the procedure)
  5. Place surface on blocks
  6. Place music box on surface
  7. Wind music box up
  8. Record dB results from the sound recorder on spreadsheet
  9. Complete steps 5-8 with another surface
  10. Record data from step 9.
  11. Complete steps 1-9 for 5 trials.

Background Research

1. Sound is energy caused by vibrations. Sound waves must flow through a sold liquid or a gas (a medium) to be heard. Pitch is the frequency in which the sound waves vibrate, making a higher or lower sound.
2. Resonance is one of the most essential building blocks in the scien
ce of physics. It is one of the most common things, as playgrounds, music TV, and Tesla Coils, etc., use it.
3. Archimedes was among the first to consider density as one of matter’s properties. Density is the relationship between mass and volume (how compound an object is subatomically. All objects have different densities.
4. dB’s (Decibels) are used to measure the intensity of sound. Continuous exposure to sounds over 80-85 dB can cause hearing loss. Normal conversation equates to about 60-70 dB. At 120 dB, the sensation of hearing is replaced by a feeling of pain.

References

Day, Martha M, and Anthony Carpi. "Density." Vision Learning. Np, 2002. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. <http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?mid=37>

"decibels." English Word Information. N.p., 2003. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. <http://wordinfo.info/unit/620/ip:1/il:D>.
Parker, Lewis. Hearing and Sound. Logan, IA: Perfection Learning, 20
06. Print.
Rogers, Tom. "The Physics of Resonance." Intuitor. 2 Apr. 1996. Web. 19 Jan. 2012. http://www.intuitor.com/resonance/index.php.

Images

Music Box: http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/8f7f/

Steel: http://www.triamericasteel.com/

wood: http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/306162176/Oak_laminated_wood_board.html

plastic: http://www.eplastics.com/



Results




Data Table

pard-data.JPG

Graphs

Results_pard.JPG

Photos


100_0172.JPG100_0168.JPG100_0171.JPG100_0170.JPG100_0169.JPG

Data Analysis


Conclusion


The original purpose of this experiment was to see which soundboard created the most acoustic resonance by placing a music box onto three surfaces (steel, wood, and plastic) and recording the amplitude with a decibel level meter. The results of the experiment were that Steel had the most resonance, with an average of 59.04 dB, followed by Wood, with an average of 58.16 dB, and with the lowest dB level, Plastic, with 54.84 dB.



Discussion



My hypothesis was that Steel would be the most resonant surface, followed by wood, and plastic. My results do support my hypothesis. There is not a relationship between my independent and dependent variables. I think the tests I did went smoothly, with some problems at the start. This is because the first music box that I had broke, so I had to look for a new one. If I could improve my experiment I would probably make sure that I have the right kind of music box that won’t break. The right music box for me would simply be the music mechanism, not the full box, as there would be nothing in between the music’s vibrations and the soundboard. An interesting future study might involve seeing if a larger or smaller soundboard makes a deeper or higher sound.